Combined coat and trousers hanger



June 1, 1965 P. F. BERTRAM COMBINED COAT AND TROUSERS HANGER Filed Feb. 6, 1963 PAUL F. Emmi) BV/QW 73304 3112 United States Patent Office arsasia Fatented June I, 193% 3,186,610 UOMBINED CGAT AND TROUSERS HANGER Paul F. Bertram, St. Louis, Mo, assignor to Lee-Rowan Company, St. Louis, Mo, a corporation of Missouri Filed Feb. 6, 1963, Ser. No. 256,691 2 Claims. (Cl. 223-91) This invention relates to improvements in combination coat and trousers hangers and in particular is concerned with such a combination hanger in which the trousers hanger may be pivoted into and out of alignment with the coat hanger, and operated through action on a single handle means of the trousers hanger.

In the past, combination coat and trousers hangers have been provided, it being understood that the term trousers I hanger is meant to include skirt hangers and other types of hangers, as the action through a clamping of the trousers, skirt, and the like, is the same for all of them. Thus, as used in this application, the term trousers hanger embraces other types of hangers as the end use is the same in principle for all of them.

The combined coat and trousers hangers of the past have generally provided for clamping of the trousers cuff in the trousers hanger by means of a handle-type of lock or the like, whereby one gripping element of the trousers hanger clamp can be moved with respect to the other and swung out of position with the other element remaining stationary. Such hangers have required that the trousers be inserted and removed vertically, so to speak, which makes the operation difiicult. Further, the lock handles and the like have been difiicult to operate and in some cases relatively inaccessible because of their mechanism.

By means of this invention,'there has been provided a very simply operated combination coat and trousers hanger wherein the trousers hanger is of the clamp type and can be operated by moving two spring biased handle elements toward one another to open the trousers hanger. The entire trousers hanger is pivoted upon a somewhat U-shaped support in which the legs are attached to the coat hanger such that the entire trousers hanger may be pivoted by operrtion of the handle. This provides that the jaws of the trousers hanger can be moved into and out of alignment, in other Words, from a normal vertical position to a horizontal position, with respect to the coat hanger. In the horizontal position, the trousers or the like can be very easily inserted into the opened jaws of the trousers hanger and removal of them may be facilitated in a like fashion.

The combination coat and trousers hanger is very expeditiously operated and can be used by an individual without any training as the mechanism is uncomplicated. Further, the trousers hanger is rugged and relatively inexpensive in cost, which are advantageous features taken in conjunction with the operation of the unit.

The above features are objects of this invention and further objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art in conjunction with the reading of the description of the invention which follows.

ment.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view partly in section, taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 1 showing further details of the trousers hanger and its support to the coat hanger;

FIGURE 5 is a view taken similarly to FIGURE 4, but showing the trousers hanger pivoted about its support;

FIGURE 6 is a further enlarged view taken on the line d-6 of FIGURE 3 showing the construction of the trousers hanger; and

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken on line 7 7 of FIGURE 3 showing the construction of th trousers hanger and its biasing means.

Referring now to the drawings, the combination coat hanger and trousers hanger is generally identified by the reference numeral It) in FIGURE 1 and is comprised of a coat hanger 12, a trousers hanger 14, and a trousers hanger support 16, as the main components.

The coat hanger 12 is comprised of a pair of diverging arms 1% and 2t} and a hook 22, such that the coat hanger may be suspended from a closet pole or the like.

The trousers hanger support 16 is of a generally U-shaped configuration having a pair of legs 24 and 26 joined by an intermediate horizontal shaft portion 28 which serves as a shaft about which the trousers hanger may pivot, as will further appear. The two legs 24 and 26 are anchored within holes in the coat hanger which serves as a support for the trousers hanger unit.

The trousers hanger 14 is comprised of a pair of elongated gripping elements 30 and 32 which are rigidly conneoted to handle members 34 and 36, respectively. The handle member 34 is provided with a pair of intermediate flanged bosses 38 and do which are used to support the handle member upon the horizontal shaft 28. Likewise the handle member 36 is provided with flanged boss portions 42. and 44 for a like purpose.

In order to bias the gripping elements together, a biasing means constituting a coil spring 46 is employed. This coil spring fits over the shaft 28 and has a pair of legs at its opposite ends 48 and 5% which bear against the insides of the handle members 36 and 34, respectively. In tending to urge the upper parts of the handle members apart above the shaft 28, the gripping elements 3% and 32 are urged toward one another in clamping or gripping engage- Use The use of the combination coat and trousers hanger is very simple. The coat hanger I2 is used in conventional fashion by draping a coat over it, such that the divergent legs 18 and 20 support the shoulders of the coat.

The trousers hanger 14 either before or after the emplacement of a coat upon the coat hanger may be operated by engaging the handle members 34 and 36 at their upper ends and pressing them together, which opens the jaws of the gripping elements 30 and 32. During this same action, the trousers hanger may be pivoted to the general position shown in FIGURE 5 where with the jaws opened the cuffs of the trousers are inserted therebetween. Where the trousers cuffs have no stiffness, as is quite often the case, the emplacement of the cuffs in the horizontal opened jaw is much more readil facilitated than inserting the cuifs upwardly into opened jaws, as will be readily appreciated. After the insertion of the cuifs into the opened jaws of the trousers hanger, the trousers hanger may be pivoted manually or by gravity due to the weight of the supported trousers to a vertical position such as shown in FIGURE 4.

Removal of the trousers hanger either before or after removal of the coat from its hanger may be effected in the reverse fashion as shown above. Thus, the trousers may be removed by pressing the upper ends of the handles 34 and 36 toward one another to open the jaws and the trousers may be pulled downwardly from the aligned posination form.

Various Changes and modifications may be made within this invention as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are Within the scope and teaching of this invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is: v 1. A combination coat and trousers hanger comprising a coat hanger member having diverging arm elements handle members individually fixed to said gripping mem bers, and extending above the gripping members to the opposite side of said horizontal axis, and operable to open said gripping members against the action of the biasing means, said pivotal support means comprising a horizontal shaft element supported in fixed relation underneath said coat hanger member and extending generally underneath and parallel to said arms, and said handle means being pivotally supported thereupon and manually operable to pivot the trousers hanger from a substantially vertical position in alignment with said arm elements of the coat hangermember to a substantially horizontal position out of alignment with said arm elements.

. 2. A combination coat and trousers hanger comprising a coat hanger member having diverging arm elements for supporting a coatand a trousers hanger pivotally supported upon a horizontal bight element of an inverted U-shaped member, said horizontal bight extending generally underneath and parallel to said arms and having vertically extending legs connected to the arms of the coat hanger member, said trousers hanger being comprised of a pair of trousers, gripping members having means continuously biasing them toward'one another in gripping engagement and further including handle means comprised of a pair ofhandle members individually fixed to said gripping members, and extending above the gripping membersto the opposite side of said horizontal axis, and operable to open saids gripping members against the action of the biasing means, said biasing means comprising a coil spring fitting in movable relation around the horizontal bight element and having legs at its opposed ends engaging each of the handle members and biasing the trousers gripping-members together and said handle member being manually 'engageable to pivot the trousers hanger from a substantially vertical position in alignment with said arm elements of the coat hanger member to a substantially horizontal position out of alignment with said arm elements.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 608,092 7/98 Williams 223-96 1,325,839 12/19 Fasel 22391 2,137,268 11/38 Clarion 22388 X 2,501,167 3/50 Frost 2-23-91 2,527,869 10/50 Wintergreen 223-91 2,640,633 6/53 Olpe 223-91 2,723,063' 1l/55 'Carr 2239l 2,792,979 3/57 Cole 223-96 2,842,299 7/58 Podell 223-96 FOREIGN PATENTS 513,975 9/52 7 Belgium.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Examiner. 

1. A COMBINATION COAT AND TROUSERS HANGER AND COMPRISING A COAT HANGER MEMBER HAVING DIVERGING ARM ELEMENTS FOR SUPPORTING A COAT AND A TROUSERS HANGER HAVING MEANS PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING IT ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS UNDERNEATH AND DEPENDING FROM SAID COAT HANGER MEMBER, SAID TROUSERS HANGER BEING COMPRISED OF A PAIR OF TROUSERS GRIPPING MEMBERS HAVING MEANS CONTINUOUSLY BIASING THEM TOWARD ONE ANOTHER IN GRIPPING ENGAGEMENT AND FURTHER INCLUDING HANDLE MEANS COMPRISED OF A PAIR OF HANDLE MEMBERS INDIVIDUALLY FIXED TO SAID GRIPPING MEMBERS, AND EXTENDING ABOVE THE GRIPPING MEMBERS TO THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID HORIZONTAL AXIS, AND OPERABLE TO OPEN SAID GRIPPING MEMBERS AGAINST THE ACTION OF THE BIASING MEANS, SAID PIVOTAL SUPPORT MEANS COMPRISING A HORIZONTAL 